𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐄 𝐏𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐇𝐔𝐁𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐉𝐎𝐁𝐒, 𝐍𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation has called for the timely completion, major expansion and transformation of digital hubs to make them engines of employment, innovation and entrepreneurship for young people across the country.

The Committee, chaired by Dagoretti South MP Hon. John Kiarie, made the call on Saturday during an inspection tour of digital hubs in Kilifi and Likoni Constituencies, where Members assessed the facilities' progress and their potential to unlock opportunities for local communities.

In Kilifi, the Committee noted that the digital hubs would enable young people to acquire marketable skills, access online jobs and develop businesses while serving clients locally and abroad without leaving their home county.

“We want a young person in Kilifi to be able to sit here and work for a company in Nairobi, the rest of Africa or anywhere else in the world,” Hon. Kiarie said.

The facility is expected to provide a platform for young people to participate in the digital economy while also giving them access to training in emerging technologies, entrepreneurship and innovation.

Kilifi North MP Hon. Owen Baya, who welcomed the Members to the Constituency as the host, said that construction of the facility had made considerable progress since the contractor commenced work in December last year.

He said the remaining works were expected to be completed within the next few months, paving the way for the hub to begin serving young people in the area.

The Committee Chair, Hon. Kiarie, said the centres should go beyond basic computer training and become productive spaces where young people can learn, work, create businesses and develop technology.

“We do not want our young people to remain consumers of technology. We want them to become developers, innovators and manufacturers of digital solutions,” Hon. Kiarie said.

The Committee also stressed the need to protect young people's innovations from exploitation, saying many promising ideas risk being lost when innovators lack access to intellectual property support.

Officials said managers of the digital hubs would be expected to identify emerging innovations and ensure that appropriate protections, including patents where necessary, are pursued before ideas are shared with third parties.

The move, the Committee said, would protect young innovators from individuals or companies seeking to take advantage of their ideas or skills.

Members also called for digital training programmes to be aligned with the needs of the modern labour market, particularly as Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to reshape employment dynamics. 

The Committee wants a standardised national approach to digital training, with trainers equipped with the knowledge and tools required to prepare young people for emerging opportunities.

“The training we provide must translate into real jobs and businesses. It is not enough to train young people if the skills they acquire cannot help them earn a living,” said the Committee Vice Chair Hon. Alfah Miruka (Bomachoge Chache).

Hon. Baya said that he was very impressed that the Kilifi Hub has already expanded its programmes beyond basic computer skills to include French, artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship, targeting young people as well as small business owners.

Hon. Miruka proposed a new model of digital hubs that responds to the needs of individual communities rather than applying a uniform approach across the country.

Future centres were projected to incorporate incubation facilities, cafés, gyms, workspaces and internet-enabled computer centres, creating one-stop facilities where entrepreneurs and students can work and access support.

Incubation centres would also help entrepreneurs register businesses, prepare documentation and connect with banks and other financial institutions for financing.

“This should be more than a computer lab. It should be a place where an idea can be developed into a business, registered and connected to financing,” said Hon. Erastus Kivasu (Mbooni).

Hon. Kiarie said the Kenya Kwanza government has allocated funding to establish numerous digital centres, with plans to expand the programme further.

He said that the Committee's long-term vision was to ensure every constituency has access to digital infrastructure, bringing online employment, skills development and innovation closer to people in rural areas.

The Committee also called for decentralising government ICT infrastructure and expertise, saying this would strengthen resilience while creating opportunities for ICT professionals in the counties.

The Members noted that counties such as Garissa and other regions should be equipped to host government ICT services so residents can access public services more efficiently. 

Hon. Dr Gideon Kimaiyo (Keiyo South) further proposed reforms to the government ICT procurement system, saying that the current arrangement where ministries and departments purchase software, applications and equipment independently could result in unnecessary costs.

He said that the government should consider centralised procurement of ICT systems and equipment before deploying them to digital hubs across the country.

The Committee's inspection of the Kilifi and Likoni facilities is part of efforts to reposition digital hubs as centres for employment, skills development, entrepreneurship, innovation and technology development.

Hon. Kiarie said the ultimate objective was to ensure that Kenya's digital transformation benefits young people not only in major towns but also in villages and underserved communities.

“Digital opportunity should not be a privilege of people living in Nairobi and other major cities. It must reach the grassroots,” he said.